The invention relates to an apparatus for reproducing n digital signals from n adjacent tracks on a record carrier. Such an apparatus comprises
(a) a read unit having n read heads, each having an output, for reading n information signals from the n tracks and supplying the n information signals to the outputs of the n read heads; PA1 (b) n detection units having inputs coupled to the outputs of the n read heads, for deriving n digital signals from the n information signals read from the n tracks and supplying the n digital signals to output of the n detection units; and PA1 (c) n phase-locked loops having inputs coupled to the outputs of the n read heads, each phase-locked loop including a phase comparator having a first input coupled to one of the inputs of the phase-locked loop, a second input and an output; a voltage-controlled oscillator having an input coupled to the output of the phase comparator and an output for supplying a clock signal of a given frequency, which output is coupled to the second input of the phase comparator.
The above-described apparatus is known, for example, in the form of a magnetic-tape recorder of the SDAT type or the DCC type. Such a recorder is capable of reading magnetic tapes on which digital audio has been recorded in a plurality of longitudinal tracks. This enables music reproduction of substantially CD quality to be achieved.
A magnetic-tape recorder of the DCC type has come onto the market recently and is intended to be the new digital cassette recorder standard to supersede the current Compact Cassette standard. For the consumer market, it has also been envisaged that such a recorder will be available for portable use and for use in car radios. This imposes additional requirements on the immunity of such a recorder to mechanical vibrations and shocks, in order to guarantee audio reproduction of substantially CD quality.